Cakes by Carrie-Anne

August 25, 2019August 25, 2019

My SkyDiving Experience! (And the intimacy! 😳😅)

Hello my loves!

Today I’m feeling a wee bitty bruised. Like I’ve had a really hard workout. Even though yesterday mainly consisted of waiting…and waiting, and then some more waiting…

A few months ago I signed up to do a charity Sky Dive. Being my usual self, I jumped (😂 no pun intended!!) at the chance when Siobhan from New Look mentioned it. It sounded like a good idea at the time. I can be very impulsive, although I’ve also conditioned myself to be that way over the years , because when you’re so busy saying no all the time, life kinda passes you by.

Anyway! I sorta kinda forgot about the whole thing. Well not really as we were trying to raise money and fundraise etc, but I had definitely pushed the actual thought of throwing myself out of an airplane at 10,000 ft out of my mind.

So then the day before the jump comes, and I’m at working coding drinks, while my manager is taking orders, and someone wants to leave a tip. So my manager says ‘oh, we’ll put that in the fundraising jar for Carrie’s Sky Dive that she’s doing tomorrow!’ And I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. I got a wee bit short of breath because although I knew I was doing it the NEXT day, hearing someone say it out loud made it that much more real.

So Siobhan and Kirsty (from New Look) and myself head down at 6:30am to make it to Strathallan for 9. We got there in plenty of time and waited to get our training!

At this point I think we’re all just pretty excited than we are nervous. And the team there totally put us at ease. We were so excited to have raised roughly £600 each when our goal was £500 for The Teenage Cancer Trust too!

So we go through our instruction video where the instructors really drum it in to us that the landing is by far the most important factor of the whole jump, so we practiced our leg lifting a bit.

Then after signing our lives away, we waited. Then our names are called and the fear sets in. And guys, I’ve said it before. I am not afraid to die. But I am terrified of the pain! (My instructor told me not to worry, because if my parachutes failed, I wouldn’t feel a thing when I hit the ground). And y’all I had a serious conversation with my spirit guide/angels before I left and they totally put me at ease by sending me 2 beautiful white butterflies, and also the suit I was given to wear was purple (my favourite colour as again it’s one I associate the most with my spirit guides)

So now Siobhan and I are suited up (poor Kirsty had to wait much longer than us as she was being filmed too 😣) and we’re strapped on to our tandem partners and not gonna lie guys. It was weirdly ‘intimate’. You’re basically sitting in between the legs of a stranger and you’re already feeling vulnerable as fuck, and you can literally feel every single movement they’re making, you’re trying so hard to relax and enjoy the view but all you want to do is take a huge breath and calm down but you can’t, because you’ve got a burly man right behind you. I mean, this gal needs dinner and drinks first, know what I’m sayin’? 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 but then there’s Siobhan who was being filmed so she was literally in the middle of a man sandwich so that made me laugh 😆 (and she also said she felt exactly the same way! 😂😂) so there’s always someone worse off guys…or better, depending how you want to look at it 🤔😏😂

So all of a sudden we’re at 10,000 ft and my guy (it’s much easier referring to him as ‘my guy’) shifts himself, and me, right on to the edge of the plane. Now I’m just looking out over the gorgeous Scottish landscape, but the ‘oh shit, this is it feeling’ washes over me and the fear sets in. Then I’m pushed out and allll the fear goes away. In a matter of a millisecond. And now we’re free falling I have my arms out and I’m in absolute awe. And the parachute is deployed and OMG in this moment I am so glad I’m not a man, because those straps grabbed my groin in such a way that I am bruised and a wee bitty tender today!

Throughout the whole dive I just can’t believe the feeling of pure calm I’m feeling. I totally expected an adrenaline rush, and something along the lines of a rollercoaster/fair ride. But I’m just gobsmacked for lack of a better word. It’s all just so surreal. At one point ‘my guy’ says ‘Are you still with me?!’ And I had to yell back ‘Yeah! This is just incredible, do you have many people faint on you?!’ Apparently it happens 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 but no. I was far from fainting. It was more like I was in a meditative mode than anything.

I even got to steer the parachute a little bit which was pretty cool, because I had NO IDEA how much control a parachutist actually has. We did a few spins (which did not help my motion sickness, but was so worth it) and then we went in for the landing. Which I was the most nervous about. But as soon as we got close enough to the ground, I was told to lift my legs like I’d been taught to, and for real it was like landing on a mountain of candy floss. It was such a smooth landing. Not what I was expecting at all!

So when we got up, instead of walking away on shaky legs (again which I thought would happen) it was like I’d just finished meditating. I honestly felt like I’d had a glass of wine and was in total relaxation mode. It’s such a strange thing to describe, because it’s exhilarating, yet relaxing all at the same time. Would I do it again?! In a HEARTBEAT! And I urge anyone who has the opportunity to, to take the plunge! It’s an experience I’ll never forget. And when you get to do it in the name of a good cause, that’s just kinda cool too 🥰

Calum!! (my guy 😂) and me!

August 3, 2019August 6, 2019

Rainbow Cupcake Tutorial

Everyone loves a rainbow 🌈 cupcake…am I right?! As an artist and customer..I love the look of a rainbow cake. But as a baker, I cringe at the thought. They’re actually a pain in the backside. We usually charge more…and if you don’t, you certainly should. They’re a faff. I internally groan when I hear that I have to make a rainbow cake. Yeah it’s the same vanilla cake recipe, but then you have to get out every bowl in the cupboard, divide the batter evenly, then use an ungodly amount of food dye to make sure the colour will still be vibrant after it’s baked. And then all the washing up. Oh, and you need to line 6 baking tins too. As I said, a faff! So it’s one thing to bake a rainbow CAKE…rainbow buttercream, slightly different, slightly easier. It’s still time consuming because… the BOWLS, and an all butter buttercream takes a lot of colour to get very vibrant, but I also used a very easy technique to get a gorgeous swirl with half the mess and all the colours.

What you’ll need:

Cling film (Saran wran)

Very large pastry bags

A Wilton 1B Piping tip

Rainbow Coloured Buttercream of your choice!

I actually used American buttercream for this project. Couple of reasons…it had been a very long week and I had to get 60 cupcakes iced and done before work.. (I managed to do it all in 45 minutes) Annd I also find my regular Swiss Meringue takes a little more time to for the colours to develop. I made sure I didn’t compromise on taste though. I will share my recipe with you at a future date. It’s easier to make vegan too..

but you do you! 😉 x

Method:

Lay down a large strip of cling film. Make sure it’s not too much longer than your piping bag.

Spoon your buttercream into long lines in the centre of the cling film. I went in order of the colours of the rainbow…but you really don’t need to do this.

Bring one side of the cling film over to the middle, then bring over the other side. It’s kinda like making sushi! Then take the ends and give it a twirl, almost as if you’re playing jump rope.

Cut one end of the cling film bag and insert it in to your prepared piping bag that has the 1B tip in it.

Then swirl away! It’s super easy, super fun, and you avoid all the mess that you’d have if you were to line the piping bag with each individual colour.

Here a little video of the piping!Rainbow Buttercream Swirl

Hope you guys ike it! Sending so much love and light,

Carrie xx

July 28, 2019July 28, 2019

Dinosaur Tutorial!

I get quite a few dinosaur requests. Dinosaurs have always been a pretty firm favourite for a lot of kids. My babies enjoyed them, but not near as much as me when I was a kid. As a child, when it came to dinosaurs I was OBSESSED! I knew the names of every kind, and I read ALL the books on the subject. I wanted so badly to be a palaeontologist…actually, it still kinda is a dream job of mine. I remember well, a summer that my dad decided he wanted to take us on a road trip and we ended up in Drumheller, Alberta, to visit their famous dinosaur museum 🥰 Thanks my dad, it’s a memory I’ll treasure forever….I’ll be sure to take my kids there one day too.

Diplodocus was my all time favourite dinosaur 🦕 probably because they just seemed to have the nicest nature..being herbivores and all. And I totally get the T Rex appeal. I actually think they’re quite sweet too, and Jurassic Park will ALWAYS be on my list of top favourite films, so most dinosaur cakes I make will usually feature a T. Rex. So here’s one I made from Rice Krispie Treats. I’d have loved to do a video tutorial but whenever I make cakes like these I always feel like I’m going to epically fail, so I don’t film, doubt myself the whole way through…and then I LOVE the result. Go figure right? 🤷🏻‍♀️🙄

So here’s a pictorial of my T Rex. I hope you like it!

To start, I made Rice Krispie Treats (RKT) . I usually eye ball this recipe. You want to use more rice cereal than marshmallows, and you want to heat the marshmallows quite a lot, because then it will set really hard, and keep its shape 🥰 I use gloves for this so I can mould the RKT without burning myself. And lots of butter or oil so it doesn’t stick to your hands.

Shape the RKT in to a large oval to form the head. Make a dent half way down to form the snout. I use the side of my palm to do this. Once you’re happy with the shape, set the head aside to set.

Roll out 3 long strips of fondant. They don’t need to be perfect. These will just make up the bone structure of the face.

Using a bit of buttercream, ‘glue’ one of the strips of fondant down the and back of the head.

Add the other two strips to either side of the head just as you did with the middle strip.

Using your fingers, pinch the fondant to make sharp edges to give the bones a bit more structure. This will be covered so I find the more dramatic you are with it the better as you’ll lose a lot of the definition once it’s covered.

Roll out 3 balls of fondant roughly the same sizes. This will be for the cheek bones and the snout.

Using a knife, cut in to the head to create a mouth. Pry the mouth open enough so you can create a cavity to place the tongue and teeth.

Press the 3 balls of fondant you rolled on to either side of the head as well as the snout. Press into the head to soften out the shape.

Roll out enough fondant to cover the head. I used a mixture of green and brown ProGel colours to achieve this green. Don’t roll too thinly or you will be able to see the rice crispies underneath.

Cover the head, and use the underside of your palm to secure the fondant to the head while giving the dinosaur more definition.

Once you’re happy with the shape, make sure to turn the fondant under the head as well as in to the mouth so there is no rice Crispies showing. Using a ball tool, create hollows for the eye sockets. I used another little tool (I forget the name) to create the nostrils.

I used the same tool as I did to make the nostrils to create some lines under the eyes. I rolled a couple of balls of yellow fondant for eyes and placed them in the sockets. I then used some black ProGel mixed with vodka to paint on the cat like pupil. I like to add a tiny ball of white fondant to the eye to create an animated effect.

Using a straw (bubble tea straws work great) and squishing it will make a great scale effect. Start pressing in to the fondant, but try not to overlap.

Once the whole head has been embossed, take the blunt edge of a knife and score the ridge of the middle bone going down the centre of the head.

Paint the nostrils with black paint to add a bit more shadow and depth.

Take a ball of pink fondant and press in to the mouth, making sure to cover any green, and Rice Krispie treats.

Using a smaller ball took, I made indentations for the teeth. I then formed a cone shape with pink fondant for the tongue. I pushed it down with my hand and scored a line down the middle.

I coloured some fondant with cream ProGel to get an off white colour for the teeth. I then rolled small pieces of the fondant into cone shapes that had points on either side. This just makes inserting them into the pre made holes a bit easier.

Before adding the teeth, centre the tongue in the dinosaur’s mouth. I then used a bit of water to fix the teeth in to place.

Once all the teeth are in place, roll out two long thin pieces of green fondant. This will cover the gum line to give it a clean finish as well. I scored the fondant with the back of my knife to add a bit more definition.

Once everything is in place you can use an airbrush if you have one to add some more realism to the dinosaur. You can also use some cocoa powder on a big fluffy brush (which I did here). I then finished it all off with a spray of edible clear glaze to give my Dino a lovely shine!

To make the leaves I just cut out green fondant free hand, then scored veins in to them. On other cakes I’ve used a magnolia leaf cutter, scored the leaves, and then arranges them around the dinosaur’s head. To cover the cake board quickly and effectively, I bllitzed some bourbon biscuits in the food processor. Not too finely as you wants more course bits to make its look more realistic. And that’s that folks. A fairly simple T-Rex Cake!

June 18, 2019August 25, 2019

Skydiving…. 😳😅😬

Hey my loves. I’m sorry to bombard you with yet another post just a couple of days between one another, but this is for something a little different and not cake related…at all. I will have some more tutorials for you soon though. I promise!

So I’ve clearly gone crazy, as I’ve signed up for a sponsored Sky Dive annnnd, I need your help. And my goodness I am absolutely terrified of heights. I actually would much rather be in a pit of tarantulas or God forbid even cockroaches…but I’ve jumped (no pun intended) at the chance, and I will be doing it!Because I don’t back out easily…and the more I think about it the more terrified I am…but I also have so much faith in my spirit guides and the universe. And what will be will be. We may as well make the most of this life right? Because we don’t all get that chance.

The goal is to raise £500 per person, but seeing as there are a few other gals from work doing it too, I may as well try to raise a wee bitty more to help them get to their target as well xx

All the proceeds we collect will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust which helps teenagers living with cancer, and their families to live their best lives while dealing with their illness. To get more information about this fantastic charity you can click here 🙂

If you’d like to sponsor me, please use the PayPal link below. Every penny will be going to the charity. Please keep a look out for some cake giveaways on my page in order to raise as much as we can. Every pound we raise will make such a difference. Thank so much for all your support! Sending so much love and light!

Teenage Cancer Trust

June 16, 2019June 16, 2019

Nanaimo Bars…anyone?! 🇨🇦🍁😋

If you’re Canadian….you’ll know exactly what a Nanaimo Bar is. For the rest of you, you’ll need a lesson! The good ‘ol Nanaimo Bar is a no bake dessert or as the Brits call them ‘traybake’ featuring a chocolate, coconut and nutty, graham cracker biscuit base, with a rich custard buttercream centre, topped with dark chocolate and perhaps another sprinkling of nuts. They’re very sweet, but that’s offset by the saltiness of the base. So it’s just dessert perfection. You can’t have too much at one time. Well I certainly can’t and I have some sweet tooth!

The last few years I’ve really been missing home, and how much of my heart belongs there…in more ways than one 💕🔥 😞 And I’ve noticed I’ve been becoming that little bit extra Canadian lately. Like really getting even more patriotic than I usually have about it. Anyway.

I initially signed up to a Facebook group called Canadians in the UK, in order to get a bit of advice on my immigration etc. Then I started noticing posts about all the Canadian treats that people were really missing, so I decided to put that to rights! So I’m delighted to showcase my gorgeous Nanaimo Bars, presented in bite sized pieces, and ready to ship ALL over the UK. Better yet…they’re vegan!

And for the non Canadians..

Nanaimo (pronounced Na-nye-mo) Bars are named after a city on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It’s a beautiful little place, and if you ever get a chance to find yourself on the West Coast, you should take a trip across. I’m pretty sure there is some debate as to who actually invented the treat, or if it really came from there, but the general consensus is ‘who cares?!’ They’ve become a national point of pride and gosh darn it every Canadian knows exactly what it is, regardless of the variations. Every time I have made these for my British/Scottish friends. They’ve always gone down a treat!

So I introduce to you, my gloriously vegan version of this Canadian classic. Because when I have the opportunity to save an animals life and contribute to saving our planet, I’m there! And what’s even better, making it vegan does NOT compromise on taste and authenticity. And did I mention I bake my own graham crackers? Yup. You got to give them a try. Order yours today!!! Here!

🍁🇨🇦

May 22, 2019May 22, 2019

Cake Prices, Sick kids, and Gratitude!

Hellllo my loves. It’s been awhile…as per usual 😳

I was woken up at 4 this morning by whimpering and a tiny little ‘mommy’ you just KNOW that it’s not going to be good. I should’ve known when I went up to bed and checked on my babies that my eldest wasn’t feeling so hot… not literally because she was roasting! But also she has a tendency to bundle up even when the weather is warm. I touched her little brother’s skin and he was cool…mostly because he was in nothing but his underwear and no covers on. So I went to bed HOPING it was just a case of too many clothes and bedcovers. I was wrong. It’s a tummy bug. So now I’m in a slight frenzy. I’m trying to organise childcare and or shift changes.

It’s good! It’s covered, and panic is over! Kyle unfortunately is on training shifts for work this week too so trying to get out of that wouldn’t have been too easy either. So now I’m crazy cleaning the house, using bleach on every door handle, crevice, and every other surface that can and will be bleached! I’ve hoovered the entire house, sterilised the kitchen and bathroom..and when I’m in the cleaning frenzy…I just want EVERYTHING done! I even got my workout in. Leg day. I’m feeling it now.

I managed to swap shifts so I took the close, which I do love to do, and on days like today, a constant supply of coffee is a wonderful and much needed bonus of the job😜 And on a plus! I only have 2 cakes this week…until I face the storm of the next 3 weeks of cakes after that 😳😬

Anyway…pricing!

Right my guys, I know I don’t have to justify my prices. I know. And for the most part I have pretty cool customers who actually do realise the extent of what goes in to making a cake. But for those of you who cheekily, yes cheekily! tell me that they not paying ‘HOW MUCH?! It’s just CAKE!’ This one’s for you…and also to those new bakers that don’t think they’re charging enough. YOU’RE NOT…know your worth my loves!

And maybe it IS just cake….but it’s also so much more than that.

Absolutely my cakes aren’t affordable for everyone. That’s just life. Some people don’t think a birthday cake is a justifiable expense. And that’s okay too. I get it. I do! I know how hard we all work for our money. Im lucky enough to be able to create cakes for my kids that I don’t have to shell out my hard earned money for..But I would absolutely buy art work from my favourite artists. And I always pay that little bit extra to support local businesses where I can. Because I can appreciate that it’s taken years to hone their skills. (Or not..some people seem just naturally talented 🙄) Art supplies, like cake supplies aren’t cheap. Groceries aren’t cheap. So let’s give y’all an idea of a standard cake…

8 inch is my most popular. I always try to keep my costs down…don’t we all?

Butter has gone up…like a crazy amount, eggs, sugar, electricity for the ovens….doesn’t come cheap. We all know this. Sooo let’s say I make an 8 inch cake. The ingredients alone cost me £10, then adding on fondant, cake boards, ribbon, boxes, electricity. That’s another £10.00. This is all before I even start physically making the cake. And I charge for my time…I now pay myself £10 an hour. 5years ago…it was about £2. And sometimes, I still only make about £5 an hour. I can guarantee 99% of people wouldn’t get out of bed for that kinda wage. Am I right?!

I have to go shopping for all these groceries and wash all the dishes and clean the kitchen…and bake the cake…so I give myself an hour for that alone. So now we’re at £30. I haven’t even STARTED decorating at this point. I don’t even charge for the research, the back and forth conversations between myself and my customer. And sometimes…that takes a VERY long time.

Decorating can take anywhere from 1 hour, to 8 hours and beyond. And that’s just for a birthday cake! Even a drip cake that can take just an hour to decorate…will cost more because once you load it with sweets and chocolates, the cost of the sweets alone will bring the price of the cake up quite substantially.

So let’s say I spend 5 hours on a cake. Average for a bespoke cake. That includes filling, and covering the cake in fondant. Making the decorations etc. That’s another £40 of my time. Now we’re at £70

Also, I’m a business. Shouldn’t I make a profit as well? So I give myself 30% profit. 70+21=91…

And I’m laughing already because for a standard 8inch cake I generally charge £65!

So your average 8inch cake is looking like £90.00 And guess what?! I usually still don’t charge that. Generally quite a bit less. So I try really hard for my ego not to get in the way. And I tell myself that the people that complain and are rude…They’re not my customers. But I’m tired of not realising my worth. I don’t haggle anymore. I respect myself and my business enough to know when to let things go, and lately I’ve learned that a LOT in my personal life too. And if a cake is not meant for me, that’s cool. I move on. With grace, and always a kind word. Because I’m above that. I don’t let someone else’s opinions demean my work. At the end of the day. I’m an artist. And isn’t beauty always in the eye of the beholder? We can’t please everyone. And that’s ok. Because I think I’m pretty damn good most of the time anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️😏🥰

So before you knock someone’s prices, please think about what goes in to them. Ask yourself if you’d work for any less. And more importantly, if you don’t agree, move on, keep your opinions to yourself. Because really, what good comes of it. And I URGE everyone to make at least one celebration cake yourself, to the best of your ability. So you can see just how much love, effort, and work goes in to each order. It’s not as glamorous a job as you’d think 🙈😏

And on a more pleasant note… I’ve been feeling so incredibly grateful and humbled for all the orders that I have been receiving lately. I was worried when I moved down from Thurso that the work wouldn’t come. But word of mouth is a wonderful thing. And I put my trust in the universe and just knew that if I put everything in her hands, All would be well. And as always. It is. Because letting go, giving in, and having faith is the best thing you can do. Always.

** All the cakes pictured above where from fantastic clients who had no issues with the prices of their cakes 🥰

May 1, 2019May 1, 2019

My ‘Go To’ Vanilla Cake including a recipe!

My most requested cake has got to be my vanilla cake. It’s generally paired with a thin layer of Raspberry Conserve and a lovely thick layer of my melt in the mouth Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

I’ve been making this cake for years and I love it because it’s very easily adaptable, it’s great for making structured cakes, and it retains its moisture….even if you over bake it 🙈 (Hey, it’s happens! 😬)

There is a lot of sugar in it…although it’s not a crazy sweet cake…which makes a lovely crunchy top when you take it out the oven. This is my husband’s favourite part and I’ll sometimes cut it off for him to enjoy.

The reason the cake is so lovely and moist (I don’t enjoy that word either!) is because I don’t use egg yolks, which can easily dry a cake out if too much is used. It’s an all butter cake with milk added as well. It’s definitely a must try.

I feel somewhat guilty talking about how delicious it as, especially as I’ve gone vegan quite recently. I’ve been making all sorts of gorgeous desserts using just plant based ingredients, and they are incredibly tasty. You literally wouldn’t even know the difference. So I’ll share my ‘old’ recipe…and if you’re interested in trying vegan recipes, let me know. I’d be happy to share them! I make a super tasty vegan cupcake too 🥰

So without further ado..

Here’s my Vanilla Sponge Cake Recipe! Please let me know if you’ve tried it. I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts 💕

I used to line my cake tins but it’s such a faff!! Now I just pour a bit of vegetable oil in to my pans, give it a swirl, sprinkle in some flour…BAM…done. No sticking, easy to release 🙌🏻 This recipe will give you one lovely tall 8inch cake. I bake it in two tins. If I want an extra tall 6inch cake I just use 3 or 4 6inch round cake tins.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Vanilla Cake Recipe

Gorgeous vanilla cake that’s so versatile, easy, and just plain scrumptious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cake, Vanilla, Vanilla Cake Recipe

Ingredients

8 Oz Unsalted Butter
21 oz Granulated Sugar
12 oz Milk
6 Egg Whites
16 oz Plain/All Purpose Flour
2 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbs Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. My oven runs hot so I bake at 150 degrees. This will ensure a lovely flat top as well which means less waste!
Grease your pans with a some vegetable oil and flour (no parchment needed, your cakes will pop right out!) Cream your butter and sugar until light in colour and fluffy in texture. Add your vanilla extract.
Add the egg whites slowly, then whip until very airy.
In the meantime combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. You don’t need to sift...I’ve tested this multiple times and the outcome isn’t worth the hassle of sifting
Add 1/4 of the flour mixture to the eggs, then alternate with the milk, ending with the flour mixture. It’s totally normal to have a almost curdled looking batter when adding the milk. Once you finish with the flour, you won’t even notice.
Pour into prepared 8inch pans.
Bake for 45 minutes. This might require more baking time. This will depend on the size of cake tin you use as well as how hot your oven runs.

March 10, 2019March 10, 2019

Caker’s Block (it’s a thing)

You guys!! Sometimes I get a cake order, and I just can’t WAIT to get started on it…I’ll still procrasticake…absolutely, but I still get super excited about it. I get asked to make cakes exactly to the customer’s specifications….I get asked to replicate certain cakes. And then I get asked to make cakes with a certain theme, etc and to just have artistic license. And I LOVE those cakes…except when I get writer’s block….but for the cake maker. And I will google and google some more. Then I’ll procrastinate, then some more. Then I’ll exhaust all my google searches. And nothing. I just CANNOT for the life of me, figure out what the hell I’m going to do.

I totally panic at some point. I don’t want to let my customer down. But then they’ve given me all the information I need. But my vision is lacking. So it was for this particular cake. I was asked to make a cake for a 70 year old woman who loves to craft, especially needle felting and papercraft. She loves her garden birds etc etc. So initially I’m like ‘yeah, sure! Leave it with me!’ Then the closer it gets I’m like ‘sake..what can I do?!’ And I’ve baked the cake. I’ve torted it, filled it, and now I’m staring at a naked cake. Wondering what in God’s name I’m going to make of it. So I start with one element…how about ‘felt’ birds?! That way it incorporates the craft and her love of garden birds. Sure, I’ll make a couple of garden birds, maybe a finch or robin, easy! So I do that, make them look a little like they’re a bit wooly. Now how do I incorporate some paper craft…yes! Wafer paper! So I decide on colours and I go with my favourites. Duck egg blue, pale pink, and gold.

Thankfully because of my love of crafting, I own a few paper punches. So I cover the cake in duck egg blue fondant, and look for my craft punches. Except I only have white wafer paper, and I REALLY want to make gold. So I try a technique really hoping it will work (because the cake is being picked up in about 2 hours….MY LIFE! )

So I take my trex (vegetable fat/shortening) and smear it over my punched paper. Lightly mind you. I don’t want globs of fat everywhere. I then used my gorgeous shimmer gold by Faye Cahill and used a really fluffy brush and dusted it over the paper.

And it worked perfectly! I made some gorgeous white ribbon roses that I also made from wafer paper and then just gave them a quick dusting of pink with my airbrush. I put on some finishing touches, and I was pleasantly surprised with the result. So sometimes…you just have to wing it. Because we can’t always have the most perfect ideas! No matter how hard you try, sometimes the inspiration is lacking. But also, sometimes you find your best work when you’re working under pressure. So don’t stress..after all my loves…it is JUST cake at the end of the day. And god knows one’s life will NOT be ruined over one dodgy cake. It sucks balls when a customer does complains…but unfortunately, that’s just life. It happens. You learn, and hopefully you get better. In this case, thankfully, I had a very happy customer.. Thanks Elisabeth! 😉🥰

I was pretty pleased with the outcome too. Let’s hope that’s the last of the caker’s block for sometime 🤪

March 5, 2019March 5, 2019

Pancake Tuesday and the best Recipe for it!!

I’m alllllways so NOT ahead of the game when it comes to all the days I need to remember. I literally question my adulting skills on a daily basis 🙄 so of course, you’re getting your pancake recipe at the end of the day, as I didn’t realise it was Shrove Tuesday until the morning of. And at that point I was trying to get myself ready for work, and the kids ready for school…so pancakes will be a snack later….maybe…but to be honest, they’re so easy and tasty, you’ll be be bound to use the recipe regularly!

My kids love pancakes. I’ve never been a huge fan. Crépes, absolutely. I remember loving having pancakes for dinner as a kid. My mom used to sprinkle them with sugar and lemon juice and roll them up, then we’d eat them with all the sugary goodness dripping down our fingers. Beautiful ❤️

I’ve tried so many different recipes in the past using both dairy and non dairy options and this one beats them all! Hands down. My kids absolutely love them, as do I. And Kyle happens to enjoy them too, but he gets a bit weird when you mention the word vegan 🌱 so in his head I think he thinks he doesn’t enjoy them, but he does…and the kids just don’t like them when he tries to make them his way 🙄😂 they’re also fussy little toe rags at the best of times. Not even kidding, Kyle once made them his signature pasta dish and made out that the Christmas elves had made it….and then it was ‘soooo delicious!! Much better than dad’s!’ 😳🤪😂 Anyway…Pancakes!

Here’s the ingredient list

2 Cups Plain Flour
1 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Baking Powder
2 Cups plant based milk (any will do)

2 tsp cider vinegar

Method:

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl combine the milk and vinegar and let curdle for 5 minutes (this helps the leavening)

Pour the milk mixture in to the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Ladle into a lightly greased pan or non stick pan. I put the pan on a medium heat. Flip the pancakes when small bubbles start to appear.

My kids eat them with Nutella, Peanut Butter or Jam. I like them with some Soy Yogurt and Granola or Muesli if I’m feeling fancy 🤷🏻‍♀️🥰

Enjoy my loves!!! Please let me know what you think 💕

February 1, 2019February 5, 2019